I was wondering if anyone out there has a workflow that results in the RS3 consistently connecting to an iOS hotspot?
This morning I was trying to connect to my iOS hotspot and the darn thing kept connecting via bluetooth. The problem is, I’m using an Esri webapp to capture the data, so I can’t do NTRIP by bluetooth, it HAS to be by a network device in order to obtain the NMEA data.
I attempted to turn bluetooth off on my iOS device, but that didn’t work…I can’t recall why, I think iOS responded by saying I needed bluetooth on to have a hotspot (?), I’m an android person but because of work I have to use iOS.
When should I turn on the hotpsot on my ipad? Should I disable bluetooth at any particular time on it? Anyone else having this issue?
In Emlid Flow, you can usually see both connection options at the same time: one via Bluetooth and one with a network IP address. You should be able to switch between them. Does it allow you to switch?
I’d like to help you get this resolved as quickly as possible, so I’ve sent you a private message. Could you please check your inbox?
I found connecting to the iOS hotspot - and remaining connected a real problem. So much so that I wrote a procedure:
This is a fiddly process and it must be done in this order each time!!
Phone Settings - turn off mobile hotspot
RS3 - Turn on RS3
Phone Settings - Connect to RS3 WiFi Hotspot
Emlid Flow - Choose RS3 from list of available devices - preferably WiFi not Bluetooth
Emlid Flow - Settings → WiFi → Enter name and password of mobile hotspot or click connect to an already entered mobile hotspot
RS3 - Power off
Phone Settings - Turn on Wifi - ensure you are not connected to any other WiFi networks
Phone Settings - Turn Mobile Hotspot ON and set Maximise Compatibility ON. Leave Hotspot settings open
RS3 - Power On
Emlid Flow - You should see RS3 connected - choose it - now configure settings for job.
This process works…but it’s such a pain, and has to be repeated if the connection drops, that I went out and bought a mobile WiFi router. That allows all devices - including drone controllers and Reach devices - to be on the same network. It works pretty well, though Emlid Flow loses connection if you let the iPhone lock. Then you have to restart Emlid Flow to get a connection.
Thanks for this workflow. I think my successful connections have been similar to what you laid out step-by-step, I just had spent so much time “button smashing” in various combinations that I never got to this level of clarity.
I’m going to be testing this workflow out a bit. It’s a real shame iOS doesn’t recognize these as GNSS receivers, I feel like it would make life much easier.
I just wanted to clarify how Emlid Flow handles Reach connections. The app automatically connects to the Reach device if only one option is available after scanning. However, you can still manually select a different connection method by scrolling down in the settings.
I’ve also tested turning off my phone’s Bluetooth and saw this message. It looks like you can set mobile hotspots only using Wi-Fi on your iPhone. Does it work the same for you? If not, maybe some settings need to be changed.
So I think I’ve figured out a few things that I’ve clarified using a combination of google searching and replies to this post, the most notable issue is my thinking “pairing” meant the Reach unit would look for my hotspot when initiating after the initial successful pair. It doesn’t.
The workflow that has shown consistent, successful connections is:
Turn OFF bluetooth and hotspot on iOS,
Turn ON Emlid Reach,
Look for Reach:##.## wifi hotspot in iOS Wi-Fi and connect when available,
Connect to Reach in Emlid Flow (IP address, NOT bluetooth),
Tell Reach to connect to iOS hotspot, THEN go to iOS settings and turn the hotspot on (do NOT enable bluetooth along with it).
bluetooth on iOS seems to be a big crux in all of this, if it is on you’re going to have a really difficult time. I blame most of this on APPL, although I do think Emlid could create some better documentation overall.
It’s great to hear you found a workaround! We also think it could be something on the iOS side. From our side, the receiver is designed to connect to a mobile hotspot regardless of whether Bluetooth is turned on. While it might scan and connect faster via BLE, it should still switch between both options as needed.
